HAMMERFIST #1 from Image Comics hit shops this week and sold out at the distributor level almost immediately. With Rick Remender and Steve Epting behind it, advance ashcans already selling for around $15, and a second printing on the way, is this one of the first modern books collectors should be watching?This week on Bronze and Modern Gods:HOT BOOK OF THE WEEKHAMMERFIST #1 – Image Comics, 2026Rick Remender and Steve Epting deliver a brutal crime/horror mash-up, and collectors are already paying attention.25 YEAR RULEULTIMATE MARVEL TEAM-UP #1 – Marvel, 2001Brian Michael Bendis and Matt Wagner bring Ultimate Spider-Man and Wolverine together in one of the earliest expansions of Marvel’s new Ultimate Universe.UNDERRATED BOOKS OF THE WEEKJONNY QUEST #1 – Gold Key, 1964The first comic-book appearance of Jonny Quest, the only Gold Key issue from the original TV era, and a surprisingly valuable animation key.CAPTAIN AMERICA #332 – Marvel, 1987Steve Rogers refuses to become an official government operative and walks away from the Captain America identity, kicking off one of Mark Gruenwald’s most memorable storylines.Plus Show & Tell, Viewer Mail, new Member shoutouts and more.Follow us on Instagram and Facebook:@bronzeandmoderngodsLike the video, subscribe to the channel, and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform.Become a Member for $2.99/month and get:• Members-only live streams• Bonus Show & Tell episodes• On-screen shoutoutsJOIN → https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkHTY1eNYHr9JoTndx_m6kA/join📬 VIEWER MAILSend questions to:[email protected]

This week on Bronze and Modern Gods, we’re talking about one of the biggest Bronze Age X-Men keys ever.Our Hot Book of the Week is X-MEN #129, the first appearance of Kitty Pryde, the first appearance of Emma Frost, the arrival of the Hellfire Club’s Inner Circle, and the beginning of the Dark Phoenix Saga. That is a ridiculous amount of comic book history packed into one 40-cent issue.For the Old Fart Rule, we go back to 1986 with ANYTHING GOES! #1 from Fantagraphics, a legal-defense anthology created to help pay bills from the Michael Fleisher lawsuit against The Comics Journal, Gary Groth, and Harlan Ellison. With Gil Kane, Flaming Carrot, Alex Toth, Gilbert Hernandez, Mike Baron, and one of the strangest backstories in indie comics, this is a true 1986 artifact.Our Underrated Books of the Week include:SILVER STAR #1 from Pacific Comics, Jack Kirby’s creator-owned superhero epic packed with genetic engineering, reality-altering villains, and late-career Kirby weirdness with no corporate filter.ANIMAL MAN #1 from DC Comics, the start of the Grant Morrison, Chas Truog, Doug Hazlewood, and Brian Bolland run that turned Buddy Baker from a forgotten Silver Age character into one of DC’s smartest cult favorites.Plus, Viewer Mail, a little Show & Tell, and new Member shoutouts.Follow us on Instagram and Facebook:@bronzeandmoderngodsLike the video, subscribe to the channel, and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform.Become a Member for $2.99/month and get:• Members-only live streams• Bonus Show & Tell episodes• On-screen shoutoutsJOIN → https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkHTY1eNYHr9JoTndx_m6kA/join📬 VIEWER MAILSend questions to:[email protected]

This week on Bronze and Modern Gods, Ghost Rider is back in the spotlight.Our Hot Book of the Week is MARVEL SPOTLIGHT #5, the first appearance of Johnny Blaze as Ghost Rider. After Marvel’s SDCC announcement that Ryan Gosling will star in a new GHOST RIDER film directed by Shawn Levy, this Bronze Age key is suddenly getting a fresh wave of attention.The big question: will Gosling play Johnny Blaze, or is Marvel going in a different direction? Either way, MARVEL SPOTLIGHT #5 is once again one of the books collectors are watching.For the 25 Year Rule, we revisit THE PUNISHER #1 from Marvel Knights in 2001. Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon brought Frank Castle back to basics after one of the strangest Punisher relaunches ever, the angel-guns era of THE PUNISHER: PURGATORY. This is the run that helped shape the modern Punisher and influenced the later films.Our Underrated Books of the Week include:FANTASTIC FOUR #45, the first team appearance of the Inhumans, with Crystal, Karnak, Triton, Lockjaw, and an early Black Bolt appearance arriving during one of the greatest Lee/Kirby stretches in Marvel history.SUPERMAN ANNUAL #11, Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons’ “For the Man Who Has Everything,” featuring the first appearance of the Black Mercy and one of the most emotional Superman stories DC ever published.Plus, Viewer Mail, a little Show & Tell, and new Member shoutouts.Follow us on Instagram and Facebook:@bronzeandmoderngodsLike the video, subscribe to the channel, and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform.Become a Member for $2.99/month and get:• Members-only live streams• Bonus Show & Tell episodes• On-screen shoutoutsJOIN → https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkHTY1eNYHr9JoTndx_m6kA/join📬 VIEWER MAILSend questions to:[email protected]

This week on Bronze and Modern Gods, we’re looking back at San Diego Comic-Con and asking a very uncomfortable question:Is Comic-Con becoming Las Vegas with longboxes?Between expensive hotels, $65-a-night parking, $15 chicken sandwiches, rideshare costs, food prices, exclusive lines, and every little thing being treated like an upsell, the show is starting to feel less like a fan event and more like a full-scale extraction machine.And the people who may suffer most are the retailers. If fans are financially exhausted before they even reach the show floor, how much money is really left to spend on comics?But it wasn’t all bad. Dealers seemed more flexible, prices have come down in a lot of areas, and there were still deals to be found if you were actually hunting.Our Hot Book of the Week is the LEGION OF SUPER-HEROES SDCC Preview from DC Comics, which saw a major jump after being distributed at San Diego Comic-Con to promote the upcoming series.For the Old Fart Rule, we go back to 1986 with DYNAMO JOE #1 from First Comics, a cheap and overlooked indie mecha book with John Ostrander, Doug Rice, giant robots, alien war, and serious “American Gundam before American comics knew what to do with Gundam” energy.Our Underrated Books of the Week include:MYTH ADVENTURES #4 from WaRP Graphics, a quirky 1984 fantasy comedy adapting Robert Asprin’s work, with Phil Foglio art and very early Tim Sale inks and lettering.THE QUESTION #1 from DC Comics, the start of the Denny O’Neil and Denys Cowan run that turned Vic Sage into one of the smartest, grittiest, most philosophical street-level characters DC ever published.Plus, Viewer Mail, a little Show & Tell, and new Member shoutouts.Follow us on Instagram and Facebook:@bronzeandmoderngodsLike the video, subscribe to the channel, and leave us a review on your favorite podcast platform.Become a Member for $2.99/month and get:• Members-only live streams• Bonus Show & Tell episodes• On-screen shoutoutsJOIN → https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkHTY1eNYHr9JoTndx_m6kA/join📬 VIEWER MAILSend questions to:[email protected]

This week on Bronze and Modern Gods, NOVA #1 is taking off.Our Hot Book of the Week is NOVA #1 from Marvel Comics, the 1976 first appearance of Richard Rider. After new reporting that the long-discussed Nova project may be moving forward as a feature film instead of a TV series, sales jumped hard, with raw copies selling for as much as $130.We also talk about NEO Comic Con, plus a little Show & Tell, Viewer Mail, and new Member shoutouts.For the 25 Year Rule, we dig into ORION #19 from DC Comics, a 2001 Joker: Last Laugh crossover issue where Walter Simonson brings Joker madness crashing into Jack Kirby’s Fourth World. It is weird, cheap, very 2001, and still mostly a $3 to $10 raw book.Our Underrated Books of the Week include:DIE #1 from Image Comics, the Kieron Gillen and Stephanie Hans fantasy horror hit often described as “Goth Jumanji,” with CGC 9.8s still surprisingly affordable.DAREDEVIL #191, Frank Miller’s brutal "Russian Roulette” issue, with Daredevil confronting a hospitalized Bullseye in one of the darkest single-issue stories of Miller’s original run.Support the show by becoming a channel Member. Members get weekly members-only livestreams, extended Show & Tell, and shoutouts in future videos. They even got this week's episode early!Join here:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkHTY1eNYHr9JoTndx_m6kA/joinFollow us on Instagram and Facebook:@bronzeandmoderngods

This week on Bronze and Modern Gods, one of the most important modern DC books is surging.Our Hot Book of the Week is DC ALL IN SPECIAL #1, the 2024 one-shot that launched DC’s new publishing era and revealed the birth of the Absolute Universe. With raw first-print copies now selling from roughly $80 to $160 and CGC 9.8 copies reaching $300 and higher, collectors are treating this flipbook special like a major modern key.We also discuss a historic sale from Heritage Auctions: the original Don Heck splash page from TALES OF SUSPENSE #39, featuring the debut of Iron Man, sold for a record $3,875,000. The sale surpassed the previous comic-art record held by the original SECRET WARS #8 page featuring the origin of Spider-Man’s black costume.For the Old Fart Rule, we return to 1986 with THE SHADOW #1, the beginning of Howard Chaykin’s BLOOD & JUDGMENT miniseries. Chaykin brought the classic pulp hero into the 1980s with a violent, cynical reinvention that made it clear this would not be a nostalgic revival.Our Underrated Books of the Week include:DANGER GIRL #2 Ruby Red Foil Edition, one of the rarest J. Scott Campbell variants of the 1990s, with only 400 copies produced and high-grade examples valued in the thousands.THE AVENGERS #273, the opening chapter of the classic “Under Siege” storyline by Roger Stern, John Buscema, and Tom Palmer. Despite launching one of the strongest Avengers stories of the 1980s, raw copies can still be found for roughly $4 to $10.Plus, Viewer Mail, a little Show & Tell, and new Member shoutouts.Become a Member for $2.99/month and get:• Members-only live streams• Bonus Show & Tell episodes• On-screen shoutoutsJOIN → https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkHTY1eNYHr9JoTndx_m6kA/join📬 VIEWER MAILSend questions to:[email protected]

This week on Bronze and Modern Gods, Erik Larsen has done it again...Our Hot Book of the Week is SAVAGE DRAGON #280, where Malcolm Dragon returns home from a mission in Russia and finds Maxine in a very compromising situation. The final page appears in two different versions, with Cover B containing the more explicit interior variant.Cover B is already selling for around $40, while some copies of Cover A have reached approximately $25.For the 25 Year Rule, we revisit DEFENDERS #1 from 2001, the double-sized Marvel revival by Kurt Busiek, Erik Larsen, and Klaus Janson. We look at the book’s cursed reunion of Doctor Strange, Hulk, Namor, and Silver Surfer, along with the complicated reasons the run ended after only 12 issues.Our Underrated Books of the Week include:SEVERED #1, the slow-burn period horror series by Scott Snyder, Scott Tuft, and Attila Futaki that combines a coming-of-age story with one of modern comics’ most unsettling villains.WHISPER #1 from Capital Comics, the true origin and first appearance of Steven Grant’s martial-arts and espionage heroine, featuring a Michael Golden cover and a price that remains surprisingly affordable.Plus, Viewer Mail, a little Show & Tell, and new Member shoutouts.Become a Member for $2.99/month and get:• Members-only live streams• Bonus Show & Tell episodes• On-screen shoutoutsJOIN → https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkHTY1eNYHr9JoTndx_m6kA/join📬 VIEWER MAILSend questions to:[email protected]

This week on Bronze and Modern Gods, it is basically all about ABSOLUTE BATMAN.After DC Studios and Warner Bros. announced that an ABSOLUTE BATMAN animated series is in development, nearly every issue in the series saw a jump in sales. Issues #1, #2, #10, and #11 each recorded sales-volume increases of at least 100%, while first-print copies of ABSOLUTE BATMAN #1 are now selling for as much as $180 raw.Is this the beginning of another major market run, or are collectors chasing the announcement before we know anything about the series?For the Old Fart Rule, we head back to the black-and-white comics boom of 1986 with COLD-BLOODED CHAMELEON COMMANDOS #1 from Blackthorne Publishing. It has government experiments, mutated animals, martial arts, and absolutely no concern about how obvious the TMNT influence was.Our Underrated Books of the Week include:UNCANNY X-MEN #290, featuring one of Whilce Portacio’s most memorable Storm covers, a major moment between Storm and Forge, and Portacio’s final issue as the title’s regular artist before helping launch Image Comics.LEGION OF SUBSTITUTE HEROES SPECIAL #1, a Keith Giffen and Paul Levitz superhero comedy starring some of the Legion’s least impressive heroes, with raw copies still available for just a few dollars.Plus, Viewer Mail, a little Show & Tell, and new Member shoutouts.Become a Member for $2.99/month and get:• Members-only live streams• Bonus Show & Tell episodes• On-screen shoutoutsJOIN → https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkHTY1eNYHr9JoTndx_m6kA/join📬 VIEWER MAILSend questions to:[email protected]

This week on Bronze and Modern Gods, a classic John Byrne Doctor Doom cover is starting to move.Our Hot Book of the Week is FANTASTIC FOUR #258 from 1983, featuring one of Byrne’s most memorable Doctor Doom covers. Raw copies are now selling for as much as $18, but is this the beginning of a bigger move or just a temporary bump?For the 25 Year Rule, we revisit WOLVERINE: THE ORIGIN #1 from 2001, the series that finally revealed the mysterious past Marvel had protected for decades. We look back at why the story was such a major event, how it changed Wolverine forever, and why raw copies can still be found for around $6.Our Underrated Books of the Week include:TALES OF SUSPENSE #59, featuring the beginning of Captain America’s Silver Age solo feature, the start of the Iron Man and Captain America split-book format, and the first appearance of Edwin Jarvis.THE MAZE AGENCY #1, an affordable early Adam Hughes comic featuring full sequential artwork years before he became one of the industry’s most sought-after cover artists.Plus, Viewer Mail, a little Show & Tell, new Member shoutouts, and our Soundtrack of the Week.Become a Member for $2.99/month and get:• Members-only live streams• Bonus Show & Tell episodes• On-screen shoutoutsJOIN → https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkHTY1eNYHr9JoTndx_m6kA/join📬 VIEWER MAILSend questions to:[email protected]

This week on Bronze and Modern Gods, Gold Key Comics are suddenly back on collectors’ radar.Our Hot Book of the Week is DOCTOR SOLAR, MAN OF THE ATOM #1 from Gold Key Comics, as recent sales jump following speculation that Robert Kirkman and Skybound Entertainment may be bringing classic Gold Key properties like Doctor Solar, Magnus Robot Fighter, and Turok back into the spotlight.Then, for the Old Fart Rule, we dig into BATMAN #400 from 1986, a massive anniversary issue with a painted Bill Sienkiewicz cover, a Stephen King introduction, and one of the wildest Batman creator lineups of the decade, including George Pérez, John Byrne, Arthur Adams, Joe Kubert, Brian Bolland, Bernie Wrightson, Steve Rude, Michael Kaluta, and more.Plus, we’ve got a little Show & Tell, Viewer Mail, and two Underrated Books of the Week:NEXUS #1 from Capital Comics, the indie sci-fi superhero landmark by Mike Baron and Steve Rude.SKULL THE SLAYER #1 from Marvel, a Bronze Age oddity with Vietnam, dinosaurs, time travel, aliens, and a power belt.If you enjoy the show, become a channel Member for $2.99 a month. Members get weekly members-only livestreams, extended Show & Tell, early access when available, and shoutouts in future videos.Join here:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkHTY1eNYHr9JoTndx_m6kA/joinDrop a comment and let us know: are Gold Key characters actually back, or is this just another short-term spec bump?Become a Member for $2.99/month and get:• Members-only live streams• Bonus Show & Tell episodes• On-screen shoutoutsJOIN → https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkHTY1eNYHr9JoTndx_m6kA/join📬 VIEWER MAILSend questions to:[email protected]